Combined shelf and folding table



May 13, 1930. H. c.- WEBB 1,758,726

COMBINED SHELF AND FOLDING TABLE Filed Jan. 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EkQ INVENTOR MGM May 13, 1930. H. c. WEBB 1,758,726

COMBINED SHELF ANDFOLDING TABLE Filed Jan 19,1929 2 ShetS-Shegt 2 INVENTOR Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES HERBERT C. WEBB, OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND COMBINED SHELF AN D FOLDING TABLE Application filed January 19, 1929. Serial No. 333,714.

My invention relates to a combined set of shelves and a folding table, and its objects are to provide such a device as will be most economical to make and yet be most usable in a small kitchenette, or like place. As few pieces of material are used as will give the required strength, and these pieces are so placed as to give the most rigidity both to the shelves when they are superposed and to the table when the shelves are extended. Since the movable shelves, when being raised or lowered, maintain a horizontal position,

articles placed on them will remain in place during these movements.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the table and 2 shelves in upright position, showing, in dotted lines, their position at degrees and also their horizontal position.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the horizontal position of the table and shelves.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

igure at is a front elevation of the table and shelves in upright position.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the table and shelves in horizontal position.

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view on line 66 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Rear legs 1 are fastened to the floor, preferably against a wall of the room 2, by angles 3. To the top of these legs is fastened, again by angles, 1, a lower shelf, 5. This shelf is at the height of an ordinary table.

Pivoted to the ends of this shelf, near the rear edge thereof, are uprights 6. Hinged to the front of this shelf, are uprights 7. Each of these uprights extends beyond the ends of the shelf, as particularly shown in Figure 3. so that, when uprights 6 and 7 are horizontal, uprights 6 will be on top of, and well overlap, uprights 7. Hinges 8, which fasten uprights 7 to shelf 5 are countersunk in the uprights and shelf, and the uprights extend slightly below the shelf, so that there is room for the hinge, and so as to form an additional brace to keep the uprights from falling lower than a horizontal position.

Above shelf 5, and similarly pivoted and hinged to the uprights, are shelves 9 and 10. Shelf 10, the top shelf, is preferably a distance deeper than the lower shelves equal to the thickness of uprights 7, and to this shelf uprights 7 are hinged back of the front edge a like distance, as shown in Figures 1 and 5. Uprights 6 preferably extend a distance above the top shelf equal to the distance from the pivot of the uprights to the shelf, to the front of the shelf, as shown at 11. Each shelf is preferably a distance above the next lower shelf equal to the depth of the shelves. Thus, when the uprights are in their vertical position, the shelves are in the position shown in full lines in Figure 1. The shelves and uprights form exact para-llelogra-ms, and, therefore, when they are swung forward, they take the position shown in Figure 1, at degrees and then a horizontal position as shown in Figure 1, both shown in dotted lines. Legs 12 are fastened by angles 13 to the front edge of the top shelf, immediately inside of uprights 7. Thus, uprights 6 have firm supports ateaoh end, when horizontal, at the rear, near legs 1, at the front, upon uprights 7, which in turn are pivoted to the front edge of the top shelf which at its front is rigidly supported by legs 12. When the uprights are horizontal, the rear of each movable shelf is therefore rigidly supported by its pivots on uprights 6, and; partially supported by the overlapping of uprights 6 and 7. The front of each movable shelf is supported by uprights 7, and the top shelf, by legs 12.

lihen the uprights are vertical, a hook 14, on shelf 9, may be fastened. into an eye, 15, in the wall, to hold the shelves up.

Were it desirable to make the shelves quite narrow,front legs12 could be dispensed with, since the overlapping uprights form braces with the lowershelf to hold the whole structure horizontal. These legs, however; add considerable strength to the table.

Extensions 11 are very useful to grip when the table is ext-ended horizontally to elevate it to its upright position. Lifting force on them, breaks, the collapsed parallelograms at the right place.

It will be seen from the above description and the drawings that when the shelves are upright, they will occupy but little space, are firmly held, and can be used for nearly any purpose; They can be extended horizontally with the articles on them, and when in this position they form a solid table for general use, and one which can be folded up when no longer needed. The firm sup port of all edges of the table would permit a person to rest upon the edge of the table with considerable weight without damage to the table.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangements of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, What claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-: r

1. ln a combined table and set of shelves, 2:: fixed rectangular lower shelf, a pair of uprights each pivoted to one end of said shelf near the rear edge thereof, a second pair of uprights pivoted to the front edge of said shelf, one at each end thereof, and each having a portion projecting beyond the adjacent end of said shelf, a plurality of superposed parallel shelves, above and parallel to, and similarly pivoted on said uprights as, said fixed shelf, all of said shelves being separated from each other a distance approximately equal to the depth of said shelves, said plurality of superposed parallel shelves and said uprights being adapted to swing forwardly on their pivots to an approximately horizontal position to form a table in which the uprights near the rear of the shelves are supported by the projecting portions of said second pair of uprights at the front of the shelves.

2. In a combined table and set of shelves, a fixed rectangular lower shelf, a pair of uprights each pivoted to one end of said shelf near the rear ed e thereof, a second pair of uprights pivoted to the front edge of said shelf, one at each end thereof, and each having a portion projecting beyond the adjacent end of said shelf, a plurality of superposed parallel shelves, above and parallel to,v and similarly pivoted on said uprights as, said fixed shelf, all of said shelves being separated from each other a distance approximately equal to the depth of said shelves, said plurality of superposed parallel shelves andsaid uprights being adapted to swing forwardly on their pivots to an approximately horizontal position to form a table in which the uprights near the rear of the shelves are supported by the projecting portions of said second pair of uprights at the front of the shelves, and said uprights near the rear of said shelves extending upwardly beyond their pivots on the upper shelfa distance approximately equal to the depth of said shelf, whereby said last named uprights will extend to the pivot points of said second pair of uprights on the front of the upper shelf when said shelves are in their approximately horizontal position.

In a combined table and set of shelves, a lined rectangular lower shelf, a pair of uprights each pivoted to one end of said shelf near the rear edge thereof, a second pair of uprights pivoted to the front edge of said shelf, one at each end thereof, and each having a portion projecting beyond the adjacent end of said shelf, a plurality of superposed parallel shelves, above and parallel to, and similarly pivoted on said uprights as, said lined shelf, all of said shelves being separated from each other a distance approximately equal to the depth of said shelves, said plurality of superposed paralld shelves and said uprights being adapted to swing forwardly on their pivots to an approximately horizontal position to form a table in which the uprights near the ear the shelves are supported by the projecting portions of said second pair of uprights at the front of the shelves, and legs between said second pair f uprights at the front of said shelves rigidly attached to the upper shelf at right angles thereto adapted to support said shelves when in their approximately horizontal position, and said uprights near the rear of said shelves extending upwardly beyond their pivots on the upper shelf a distance approz-zimat ly equal to the depth of said shelf, whereby said last named uprights will extend to the pivot points of second pair of uprights on the front of the upper shelf when said shelves are in their approximately horizontal position.

HERBERT C. WEBB. 

